Threads magazine shares instructions for easy-peasy lace top!

Cotton lace is a favorite for summer dress-ups.  It make a top to go with jeans, or it can go semi-formal as a breezy wedding dress.

Threads magazine has generously shared a set of directions for a "Quick-sew lace top."  It takes a yard and a half of lace fabric.  If your lace top has scalloped edges, even better. This one is perfect:

Ivory cotton lace #6576:  buy it here!

Then get the instructions here.

One cavaet:  The instructions seem to refer to the shoulder seam as a "vertical seam."  The point is that there is not a "seam" at the shoulder because you leave the pattern pieces joined instead of cutting out two separate pieces.  So don't let that one fool you, the instructions are good except for that~

Here's your finished top...enjoy!  

Color of the year and new arrivals!

We've all heard about it--Pantone's "Radiant Orchid"--and we've seen the color chips at Home Depot and the write ups about all kinds of lavenders, purples, and orchids in a whole spectrum of tints, shades, and hues.  But,where is the elusive "Radiant Orchid" in the world of fabric?

Well, good news--get out your pattern stack and get ready to sew, because we've gotten a good selection of silk prints (even a beaded one), a French cotton ottoman, and even a bridal satin in the much-ballyhooed shade of the season!  Sophisticated buttons, too!



Visit Exquisite Fabrics, Inc.'s profile on Pinterest.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is the best time of year to remember anything and everyone for which/whom we are grateful, and that includes our customers!  It's so much fun to make new customers and to see our loyal customers from the DC area!  Thank you and we hope you have a very good turkey day!

Meanwhile, our website is still growing.  Thanks to you for your inquiries, which help us to prioritize.  The search function is very functional, and we can even see what the most frequent search terms are so that helps us to know what people are looking for.  Just type in the term for the item you are seeking in the box at the upper right corner.

For example:  "lace trim" yields this result (click):  LACE TRIM.

As you know, there is still only fraction of our inventory online and this is a long-term project!

New silks, nice weather, good eats, and other reasons to enjoy Culpeper!

Greetings from Culpeper!  The past week was perfect weather for sewing, was it not?  Hope you enjoyed some relaxing and/or productive time inside!

Now that the weather is clearing, you might be craving some time out and about.  Along with our tweeds, cashmeres, and other fall fabrics, we've got a new shipment of silk prints. We sell silk prints all year round, in fact, Exquisite Fabrics is well known as a "destination" for fashion-forward fabrics. Only a fraction of our collection is shown online, and quantities of everything are limited, so hurry for the best selection!

Along with fabric shopping, October 14 through 20th is "Restaurant Week" in Culpeper.  From the "Visit Culpeper" website:

If you've been waiting for a special occasion to explore the robust and diverse mix of downtown Culpeper restaurants, you now have one: Culpeper Renaissance's 5th Annual Restaurant Week. Started by local restaurateurs in 2009, the event encourages diners to break out of typical work-week patterns and share a meal with family and friends. With specially priced menu options -- $25 per person includes a 3-course dinner of appetizer, entrée, and dessert -- it's a great excuse to revisit old favorites or try something new.

Fall is a beautiful time of year to take a break and re-harmonize with the beautiful countryside surrounding Culpeper.  The national parks are closed?  Visit an apple orchard (of which there are many including our favorite, Roy's in Sperryville) take in a traditional apple festival at Graves Mountain, or take a hike through one of the state of Virginia's beautiful parks:  Sky Meadows.  It's our go-to relaxation spot!

Online shopping is ready

Thanks for all the suggestions and requests for online shopping.  All put to good use on our new e-commerce site.  Of course this will be a work in progress, so keep checking back and please keep making requests for what you want to buy online, in case you can't come to our "live" store.

NEW THIS WEEK

...and here's a classic...a small version of a tartan to get you started on Fall sewing:

This one is a lightweight wool woven with just a touch of lycra for great comfort and fit!

The Parisian fashion week showed us classic tartans made up in the iconic Parisian jacket we all know and love.  You can make it subtle or bold!

September is National Sewing Month...happy sewing!

Most helpful comments on upcoming new e-commerce site

Thanks for all the knowledgeable comments from those of you who keep up with us and/or are looking for us to expand our online presence.  Since I was living "abroad" in Blacksburg for a few months and then spent the summer setting up our warehouse, moving our household, and a few other long-postponed projects, my goal was to start working on the new site by Sept. 1.  I'm a little ahead of schedule (but probably should not say that out loud).  For the past few months I've only had time to take things away from the existing site, no time to add anything!

A few of you took the time to let us know the ways in which you enjoy buying things online.  We appreciate it and I'm going to integrate as many useful features into the new site as possible.  I don't see many limitations with the new host.

SEARCH.
Yes, we will definitely have a search feature. I'm more of a "browser" myself, when it comes to clothing and textiles, but I appreciate the Amazon-like experience of being able to find specific things easily.

MORE FABRICS.
Yes.  We will be adding woolens first (because it's the season), but please feel free to request other things.  The squeaky wheel definitely gets attention.

MORE BUTTONS.
This will be my pet project.  More on that later.

SMALLER PICTURES ON THE PARENT PAGES.
Check.  I get it.  That gives a better overview.

FEWER CATEGORIES.
Well, there's no getting around it.  I'll do my best, but there are a lot of things waiting to "nest" under every category.  When you consider the search feature, it should be easier to find what you want.

SAMPLES.
I've got "clearance" to sample many fabrics, but not all!  I think samples are important for offsite color matching, but for many other attributes of fabric like drape, weight, texture, and overall appreciation, it's probably smarter to go with the minimum yardage.  We're lowering the minimum purchase to 1/8 yard on most but not all things.  Of course some things like panels cannot be sampled.

We will have a limited number of samples, when available, at a modest cost.

COMMENTS/ISSUES ABOUT ONLINE SHOPPING IN GENERAL WHICH DESERVE TO BE ADDRESSED.

Shipping charges.  UPS has become just too expensive and the USPS is very reliable (with insurance) so we are making our default shipper the good ole USPS.  With their recent (like yesterday) changes to their priority mail service, insurance is included up to $50.00 value.  That means our shipping charges are going to be very modest (we are aiming for a default rate of $5.88), which makes all of us happy!  Another feature that I feel is very important is that the shipping charge shows as soon as you enter your zip code in the shopping cart--no signing in or any other silliness before you can see the shipping charge. (Free shipping on purchases $100 and up too!)

Partial orders.  Did you know that it is our policy not to ship partial orders?  Sometimes your project depends on the very thing the supplier is out of....and it is very annoying to get everything but (that happens to us too)...we are going to continue our policy of checking with our customer first if we are out of anything, before releasing the order.  This comes from a sewing person's point of view (mine).

Crooked cuts/short yardage.  If you've ever shopped with us "live" or online, you know that's never been an issue here.  We cut straight or tear, and on some fabrics pull a thread. Will continue this practice.

OTHER NEWS.
You may have heard that Google Checkout/Wallet is no longer going to be available to merchants who sell "real stuff" (only downloads and such).  This is one of the main reasons we are updating our e-commerce...we have to re-enter everything into a different database anyway, so it's one of those blessings in disguise.  You can still place orders on anything that remains on our existing site until November.

Finally, you might be interested in Amtrak's current southbound "Cardinal" schedule, which is timed right on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays to bring shoppers to Culpeper at noontime for an afternoon of shopping, dining, and maybe a glass of wine...departing at about 4:00 pm...and this makes me smile...we're having an "End of Summer Choo-Choo" promotion....all aboard!

Train-ing through the countryside to Culpeper!

Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at about noon, Amtrak's southbound "Cardinal" train pulls in to the Culpeper Depot, just in time for shopping and lunch!

Some of our customers are enjoying the train ride in order to spend the afternoon in one of American's "Top Ten Small Towns."  Davis Street, where our shop is located, is home to a number of upscale eateries and unique shops.

Come up Davis Street from the Depot about two blocks and we'll be on your left right before Main Street.
Enjoy your shopping and then head out to take in some of Culpeper's other pleasures before you catch your return train at about 4:00 pm.

Do you crave high tea?  Try Miss Minerva's!  Or a full lunch on Thursdays and Fridays, with locally sourced ingredients prepared by renowned chef Peter Stogbuchner, at the Hazel River Inn restaurant.  There are plenty of choices, from the local diner on the corner to an innovative coffee shop, wine shops, bakery, and cheese shop.  You won't leave Culpeper hungry!

If you're a chocoholic as well as a fabricholic, you'll go mad for the Frenchman's Corner, which carries Neuhaus chocolates as well as a variety of other treats of the season.

If you've never been to Culpeper, here's an extra enticement:  Now through September 6th, we have an "End of Summer Choo-Choo" promotion!  Click here for more info, and we'll see you soon!